The Betrothal of John Sheppard
by Gwendolyn Rogan
Summary: John Sheppard, Ladykiller. Unfortunately.
1. Part I

Disclaimer: I _don't_ own the stuff that belongs to other people. I _do_ own the few things I made up.

A/N: Everyone's got to write one at some point in their fandom… You know, the obligatory story about Sheppard getting wound up in strangely plausible cultural wedding traditions.

Anyway, this is a short doodle in three parts that has been sitting around on my hard drive for the better part of forever, now. In it, I'm paying homage to the age-old theme of winning the princess's hand in marriage through heroic acts and Sheppard's unfortunate (?) habit of getting women to fall in love with him (and him caring right back) with a dash of parody and bodice-ripping romance novel, minus the bodice ripping, just for kicks. And it takes place sometime during the fifth season. Doesn't really matter when.

Poor Sheppard. Fic authors really are his worst enemy. Enjoy.

--

**The Betrothal of John Sheppard**

John Sheppard regarded the wall opposite him.

This, alas, was becoming an all too familiar situation: step through the Gate, have a little chat with the villagers, get in a fight, get kidnapped, get locked up, get betrothed to the eldest daughter of the local king. He was sick of it.

Why always him? Why not Rodney? or Ronon? Certainly probability didn't hate him that much.

He sighed and threw a pebble across his cell. Room. Whatever. A large comfortable bed, richly carved furniture, and nice drapes to block out the hot afternoon sun didn't change the fact that he was basically trapped here. He could leave his room if he so wished or even the wing, but he couldn't leave the large, stone palace, much less the planet. He had no idea where they had taken his friends, despite the fact they had all managed to retain their radios when their weapons were confiscated and had so far spent the day chatting and trying to ascertain their location. It wasn't going very well.

"So we've decided on the palace, then, right?" Sheppard was saying. That was as much as they had worked out.

"Or somewhere nearby," Ronon said with a grunt. "They wouldn't keep us where you could easily find us. We're on the grounds, though."

"Yes, you've said that," Rodney replied. "They want us where they can watch us but they don't want him to find us so we can leave. We've been over that."

Ronon's glare was evident even over the radio.

"Probably why they have someone following me whenever I leave my room," Sheppard said. It was another reason why he just stayed where he was.

"He might also be there to keep her out," Teyla said.

Sheppard thought about it for a moment. "That would make sense as to why she hasn't come for a visit. I wish other fathers had been so conscious about their daughters. Sort of." He didn't need to be presented with any situation that would result in his unwilling consent to the marriage, after all.

"Not what I wanted to know," came Rodney's groan. Ronon and Sheppard chuckled.

Their conversation then left the topic of their relative locations and became quite idle in nature. At length, Sheppard withdrew from it all together and just listened as he started to mull over possible escape plans on his own.

Unfortunately, his stomach had been speaking to him for the last hour, demanding food. He had been brought breakfast in his room that morning by a servant who wouldn't speak to him and had avoided the communal lunch with a lousy excuse that everyone seemed to buy. In hindsight, saying that he didn't feel well and couldn't possibly eat a bite had been a mistake seeing as they hadn't brought anything to his room to supplement the missed meal. He was forced to eat a PowerBar.

And now that teatime was approaching and all he had consumed that day besides the energy bar was some bread and a fruit that reminded him of a small cantaloupe, he was starving, but not sure he wanted to join Nareen, his betrothed, for tea, as had been suggested by the note that was slipped under his door about an hour after lunch. It smelled something like lilacs.

Now, Sheppard didn't like to think of himself as a bad guest for not answering his invitation to lunch; he much preferred the free-roaming-prisoner-who-was-going-to-enter-a-marriage-against-his-will take on things. He may have been given very few restrictions, but he was essentially imprisoned here. And because of that he wasn't in a very courteous mood and didn't much feel like eating with his captors.

So, he remained sitting against the wall until his stomach threatened to start eating itself and surrounding organs. Glancing at the large clock in the corner of his room, he stood, brushed off the seat of his trousers, and decided to meet Nareen after all. He didn't want to go but decided that if he didn't see her then she would eventually come see him, which could lead to a lot of trouble. Gracious as he was with the female attention he had received since coming to this galaxy, he didn't much care for it at the moment. In fact, he needed to come up with a way out of the wedding and fast; his walk down the aisle was scheduled for the next day.

They had only been on Vrschere for a day, he thought. All he had done was protect Teyla from some drunk and ask Nareen to call him by his first name.

He really needed to stop doing that.

"I'll talk to you guys later," he said into his earpiece as he started for the door; his vest lay abandoned on the bed. "I'm going to see Nareen and see if I can't talk my way out of this."

"Who?" Rodney asked.

"Who do you think, genius?"

"Oh, right. Good luck."

"Yes, good luck, Colonel," Teyla said.

"Thanks, guys."

He tucked the radio into his pocket.

--

Nareen looked up at him when he was led into her suite and smiled. He forced a similar expression and was sure it came off as a cheap imitation.

It wasn't that Nareen was hideous; she was quite the opposite, actually. Her hair was a dark auburn against freckled skin and her eyes shone blue whenever they caught the light. Though a little on the larger side due to her pampered upbringing, the extra roundness only made her shapely in all the right ways, a fact that was accentuated by the cut of her dress. And to be perfectly honest, Sheppard probably would have been attracted to her if the situation had been different. She was neither too tall nor too short and from their brief interactions, she seemed rather intelligent. He was just in the wrong place at the very wrong time.

"Hello, highness," he said, sounding far more confident than he felt. She smiled wider and gestured to the seat across from her.

"I trust you are feeling better, John?" she said as a servant poured them tea. "My father was quite disappointed that you couldn't make it to lunch. He has so many things he would like to ask you about. Flying, for one; it's his life ambition to build a machine that will soar through the air. You are a pilot, are you not?"

"Yeah," he said. Nareen picked up her teacup and saucer and watched him over the rim as she took a sip.

Tea had never really been his thing despite how his mother had insisted they spend Sunday afternoons when he was a boy. Because he had no sisters, his mother had briefly tried to instill some sense culture into him and his brother, with whom it had apparently taken. Sheppard, on the other hand, had been far more interested in sports and tadpoles and dirt like most other young boys to ever really pay attention to more than the cookies, so 'lessons in culture' did not last long in the Sheppard household. Too bad he could no longer use the excuse that the dog might try to eat his frog if he stuck around for too long.

One look at the assorted cakes and sandwiches, however, changed his mind about getting out of there as quickly as possible. Maybe this wouldn't be _too_ bad, so long as he could get out of the marriage in the end. And have some food in the meanwhile.

Nareen's topic of conversation, however, didn't give him much assurance.

"I don't know how I can ever repay you for killing my betrothed," she said over the top of her cup. He choked on hot tea. "He was kind enough but murdered my previous betrothed in the most terrible fashion. No one ever told me whether or not they ever found Jorn's entire body."

Sheppard frowned. While he was glad Nareen wouldn't be marrying the man who had attacked Teyla, he didn't much like the reward he had received for it. He would have preferred a trade agreement.

_Stupid Vrschen marriage traditions_, he thought.

She went on. "Father was quite upset at the loss of Terren's wealth and influence to be sure, but he believes that your ability to control the obsolete technology will be a far greater asset to our house in the long run. He has plenty of money; what he doesn't have is an effective way to protect his people from the Wraith." She lifted her shoulders in a slight shrug. "Our scientists have determined that much of the ancestral technology is meant to defend the inhabitants of this world, though none of us have ever been able to use it."

"You don't have to marry me to receive the same kind of protection," he tried. "We have more than enough resources to offer as part of an alliance."

She shook her head and put the cup and saucer in her lap.

"The advantage of our marriage is that our children will presumably inherit your special abilities. Our people will be protected long after our deaths, John."

"Oh, yeah, right. That." _Crap._

"You're not very happy with the situation." She frowned. "Think of it like this: My father wouldn't have chosen you to marry me after killing Terren if you hadn't anything to offer. In fact, you were very close to being tried for murder and put to death. I believe this is a reasonable alternative."

Sheppard lifted his brow; he hadn't known that. Maybe he should be a little more grateful.

Nah.

"You're a princess, right?"

"Yes."

"Doesn't that give you any sort of say in who lives and who dies?"

She looked at him for a moment and he could practically see the calculations running through in her head.

"No. However," she said just as he was about to protest, "the matter has been forgotten and his death has been written off as unfortunate, untimely, and as a matter of self-defense by the other party."

Sheppard frowned. He didn't like talking about the people he killed, especially not in such a straight forward manner. The other man had attacked Teyla and had to be dealt with. It was unfortunate that death had been involved.

And that was that.

"Look, can't we talk about something else?" he said. "You know, like the weather?"

Nareen tilted her head to one side. "Yes, of course. I just thought that you would like to know the facts behind your situation."

"No," he said, conceding somewhat, "I appreciate it. But isn't there anything you can do? You know, like call it off? Tell them you're disgusted by me, or something. Believe me, I won't be offended."

She shook her head. "Tradition dictates that if my betrothed is killed, I must marry the man who killed him. There are very few reasons a wedding won't take place and my father seems rather fond of you. I think he likes the idea of you the most."

"So there's no way I'm getting out of this?"

"It is unlikely, I'm sorry," she said. "But is it really so terrible?"

"To be forced into a marriage I don't want any part of? Yeah, it kind of is." He pushed at some bread crumbs. "What if I chose not to agree to the vows?"

"Vows?" she said with a slight laugh. "Nobility does not enjoy the same freedoms as our people."

He pressed his lips together. Of course not.

Her smile was sad, however, as she put her cup and saucer on the table between them. "I have about as much choice in the matter as you, I'm afraid. I loved the first man I was to marry and have despised all since him. They were each cruel enough to kill for my hand and that was reflected in how they treated me; you only killed Terren because a friend was in trouble and despite your reluctance to enter into the marriage, you are a good man. I must say that you remind me of the man I loved and that I am glad the cycle has ended with you. I'm not sure I would have survived any of the others in between."

Sheppard frowned as he watched her. Now he felt terrible. He hadn't said anything necessarily malicious, but certainly had been thinking terrible things.

"I'm sorry," he said slowly. Tears were glistening in her eyes as she turned away.

"You have nothing to apologize for. His death was far from your fault."

"I know, but ahh…" he said rather eloquently. Fighting the sudden urge to take her hand in comfort, he went on. "I know how it feels to lose someone you love and to have them…replaced by someone less. It hurts. A lot."

Sheppard furrowed his brow. He didn't like talking about his feelings and, besides that, he was lousy at it. That was the most articulate he had been about his mother in a long time.

And when Nareen reached for his hand across the small table, he didn't pull back. He just let her long fingers squeeze his and gave her a small smile for it. Then he laughed.

"Aren't we just a couple of sob stories."

"I'm sorry?"

"I think we could rival Bruce Wayne."

"Who?" Nareen looked even more confused.

"Never mind…" Sheppard looked around the room. "Let's go for a walk."

"I thought you were avoiding me," Nareen said.

_Damn it_. "What gave you that impression?"

"You were far too ill three hours ago to eat luncheon with my family, yet here you are suddenly feeling much better. Unless I'm mistaken, cake is not a remedy for nausea."

"But I'm with you," Sheppard pointed out. Nareen frowned.

"That is far from the point."

Sheppard just grinned.

--

It was hot outside, hotter than Sheppard would have guessed considering the coolness of the palace, and within minutes he was regretting his decision to wear his jacket. He quickly removed it. Holding it somewhat awkwardly over one arm, he shoved his hands in his pockets, still too warm for comfort. Nareen, on the other hand, seemed perfectly fine under her white parasol. She was even spinning it slowly as they walked.

It was late spring on Vrschere and the gardens around them were alive with colour. From a rose garden to the orchard of flowering fruit trees they were now entering, the landscaping was immaculate. Beyond a short garden wall to their right, the grounds extended as far as the eye could see, the land rolling away from the palace and ending in a distant forest. As they walked, small buildings would appear from behind a copse of trees or a hill that also hid a pond or larger lake. It made him think of the English countryside.

"If you're trying to use your gardens to convince me to stay," Sheppard said at length, "I've gotta tell you that it's not going to work."

"I wouldn't imagine doing anything of the kind," Nareen said, tilting her parasol to veil her face. It only made Sheppard curious about what she was hiding behind the ruffled fabric before cursing himself for being pulled into that trap. "Though it makes me suspicious about why you wanted to come out here."

"Fresh air."

"Hmm." Nareen peeked out at him. "I think you're looking for your friends."

His shrug was noncommittal. "I figured I might as well keep an eye out for them at least," he admitted. "You know, in case someone comes after me before tomorrow. I like being alive and they're generally a big help in that department."

Rolling the parasol to the other shoulder, Nareen shook her head. "My father has gone to great lengths to make sure no one will get to you."

"If you call being alone in a wooded area great lengths, then sure, I can see that. Thanks."

She clicked her tongue. "No one is ever alone, least of all in the grounds or in the palace."

"That's comforting." He glanced around. "I think."

"It is, actually. I have never had to fear for my life knowing that there are guards wherever I go," she said. Sheppard gave her a doubtful look. "You'll grow used to it in time."

"I'm a solitary kind of guy."

"Not anymore," she said. "You can't afford to be."

Sheppard frowned but didn't respond otherwise.

They fell silent as they went deeper into the flowering trees, a slight breeze blowing little pink petals around them. Some caught in Nareen's hair, the pink setting the red ablaze. He tried not to notice even as she pulled a small flower out of his hair and handed it to him, her lace-gloved fingers brushing his palm lightly.

He regarded the flower as she walked away, twirling it between two fingers as he thought about what to do with it. What he should do was throw it away and forget about it. What he was tempted to do was give it back. He didn't, though, knowing exactly what it would look like if he did.

Glancing up, Sheppard noticed Nareen watching him from where she stood several trees away. He wondered how long she had been standing there and shoved the flower into his pocket, looking away.

He really hated charming people sometimes. Like now.

"I believe you will make a good leader, John," she said once he caught up. "If you learn to care for the people of Vrschere as much as you do for the members of your team, they will want for nothing. And as a soldier you will have no qualms about protecting us from the Wraith. None of the others would have done this world so much good as you will."

He looked at her. "I hope you know I'm going to fight this for as long as I possibly can. And then some."

"From what little I know of you, I would be disappointed if you did any less. It's how I know you'll be good for us."

Nareen lowered her parasol, then, and closed it, looking at her dusty hem rather than at him. Though he wasn't sure why, Sheppard took a step closer and almost reached for her chin to tilt her face to his. He clenched the hand instead.

"I never thought I would be able to find happiness after Darrl was killed," she said. "You are, perhaps, the best thing that could have happened to us."

"Don't tell me that, Nareen," he said.

"I thought it best if you knew," she replied quietly.

Sheppard stopped himself from taking hold of her shoulders as if to shake some sense into her. He couldn't leave Atlantis. They needed him too much. He needed the city too much. It was the first place he could call home and mean it in a very long time.

But a small part of him was inexplicably beginning to want to stay, if only to protect her people. Maybe it was that damned hero he was becoming.

Somehow, Vrschere had managed to escape the Replicators and the spread of disease, but who knew what the future had in store for her people. If history had anything to say about it, the planet would become the convergence point for half a dozen hives, if not more. The population was vast and could easily feed a large number of Wraith, but no one knew when they would show up. It could be tonight. It could years from now. Whenever they came, however, he found that he wanted to be around to protect them. How could he wish ill on the woman who had saved his life and had shown him only kindness despite his hostility?

She titled her face to his. He allowed the proximity.

A twig snapped.

Jumping back, Sheppard scratched at his hair and looked towards the noise. It was Nareen's youngest brother, Korden, a boy of six.

"What are you playing, Nareen?" the boy asked.

"Nothing, honey," she said, not looking away from Sheppard for a long time. Turning, she held out her hand for Korden. "Just discussing grown-up things." She smiled at the child before turning back at Sheppard.

"Will you be joining my family for dinner tonight, John?"

He could barely find his voice, hating himself. "Yeah," he finally got out. "I'll be there."

"My father will be happy to see you."

He rubbed a hand over his jaw as the boy's governess appeared as well, unable to answer.

And as if suddenly shy in the presence of the older woman, Nareen opened her parasol and hid her face from Sheppard, but not before giving him a smile that could have meant any number of things.

"Bye!" little Korden said, waving exuberantly as Nareen led him away. Sheppard waved back.

_Crap._


	2. Part II

Sheppard woke that night to a sharp rap on his door. He grunted as he came out of a food-induced dream and rubbed at his eyes, awareness dawning a little slower than he would have liked. Pushing at the plush pillows, a book falling off his chest, he stood and crossed to the door, his boots clunking heavily. He hadn't meant to fall asleep.

"Who is it?" he rasped. Reaching for the door knob, he didn't quite get his hand around it before the door cracked open, narrowly missing his nose. Candle light flickered into his room that just managed to illuminate his visitor's face. Nareen. Damn. "I thought there were guards at my door."

She gave him a strange look. "Yes, but they're here to protect you from anyone who might try to kill you. I certainly mean you no harm."

Sheppard just looked at her and said, "What are you doing here?"

Nareen glanced at one of the guards before pushing her way into his room. As she closed the door behind her, Sheppard put a good distance between them and stood with his arms closed, determined not to give in. Not this time, anyway. And when Nareen didn't move any closer, Sheppard allowed himself to relax.

"I would like to take you to your friends," she said finally.

"Excuse me?"

She pulled at the cinch of her housecoat as if nervous. "My father put them in the upper prisons. It's where we keep our important prisoners."

"It's good to know they're considered important," he said, lifting his brow. "Why are you even keeping them around?"

"To prevent them from returning with forces that would overwhelm our own in order to rescue you from the marriage." She looked him up and down. "You're too important to us."

Sheppard frowned. "What's going to happen to them after the wedding?"

"I assume they will be allowed to return to your planet but my father doesn't speak to me of such things." Nareen paused then and squinted at him, apparently thinking. She didn't say anything, though.

"I'm told the prisons are cold," she said instead. "You might want to bring your coat."

He didn't move for a long time and instead watched Nareen. Her eyes narrowed and she looked as if she was about to speak when he finally turned and picked up his jacket from where it had slid off the bed. Nareen nodded.

"You'll want to be quiet," she said. "I've paid the guards outside your door well to let you pass out of their sight, as I have with the prison guards, but I haven't any others in my pocket at the moment."

"There's something you're not telling me," he said as she opened the door and stuck her candle outside to look down either side of the corridor.

"There are a lot of things I'm not telling you," she replied, looking over her shoulder, "but we're not yet married, so I don't believe I'm required to give away my secrets yet." A smile touched her lips.

"You'll want to keep some of them," he said, following her into the hall.

"Oh?"

"Life wouldn't be interesting if I knew everything about you. Besides, I'll need something to keep me from going out of my mind." Sheppard shrugged into his jacket and glanced at the two guards outside his door as he did so. They were looking at the ceiling and doing a very good job of ignoring what was happening just in front of them.

Nareen chuckled and said, "I like to believe that our lives aren't as boring as that."

"We'll see," Sheppard said. The flickering light caught the smile in Nareen's eyes just before she grabbed his hand and blew out the candle.

"Quietly, now," she said, leaning into his ear and forcing him to wonder if she wasn't as innocent as she let on. "The prisons are on the far side of the parade grounds."

Lifting the front of her housecoat, Nareen led Sheppard down the hallway at a fairly quick pace. He would have rather made the journey without holding her hand, but didn't fight it, something telling him that she needed the reassurance of the contact. Was she doing this, he wondered, against the will of her father? They probably wouldn't have to sneak around the palace at night if she had been given permission. Nor would she have had to pay off his guards.

Nareen paused at the intersection of two corridors and peered around the corner. Moonlight flooded the hallway and reflected off the mirrors that helped keep the heavy stone architecture light. Portraits of long dead relatives seemed to watch them, their dull eyes yellowed with age. Sheppard swallowed as he too looked down both sides of the hall.

A tug at his hand told him they were continuing on.

"What'll happen if we get caught?" Sheppard asked several minutes later.

"I don't know," she said, glancing back at him once they cleared a flight of stairs. "My father doesn't care if his children wander around the palace during either the day or night, but I'm not sure what he would do if he caught me leading you to your companions. And I don't care to find out."

"Well, I wouldn't want to get you into any kind of trouble." Chivalry hadn't been completely abandoned since the divorce, after all. "I could have done this on my own."

"That punishment I can imagine," she said. "It wouldn't be a pleasant situation for you."

"I thought I was valuable to your family."

"Not that valuable." Nareen paused just inside the door that led outside and let go of his hand. Turning to look at him, she shrugged. "But I'm sure he would lessen the sentence considering I am the conspiring party here, not you."

Sheppard grabbed her wrist as she reached to brush something from his cheek. "So, you're putting my life on the line to feel a little less guilty at night? I'd rather just marry you and get it the hell over with. I kind of like being alive."

Nareen looked away but didn't pull herself from his grip, though it was tight.

"And you will remain alive," she said finally. Whispering, she continued, "I would rather rule Vrschere alone than with a man who doesn't want anything to do with it."

"What are you saying?"

She looked at him. "I'm not saying anything, John. But if I were you, I would be mindful of my volume when we meet your friends. I wouldn't be surprised to find ears in the prison."

He regarded her in the moonlight before releasing her arm. She rubbed at the wrist and held his gaze for a moment longer. It was Sheppard who looked away first. Nareen just turned to the door and lifted the latch that kept it secure, opening it once the heavy piece of wood had been removed.

"We will want to stick to the perimeter," she said, "though I would suggest we run. The guards, I believe, are in the middle of their rotation, but they will still be vigilant."

"Just lead the way."

Nareen nodded and took a quick look outside before exiting the palace and beginning her run along the stone wall to their left, lifting her skirts to free her legs. Sheppard hesitated a moment to take in the large courtyard before following in her wake, surprised at Nareen's speed. He wouldn't have guessed she could run so well.

By the time Sheppard caught up, Nareen was pulling a key from her pocket and slipping it in a large lock. Her breathe was heavy where his was not, Sheppard having taken a slower, more cautious pace than she, and her fingers trembled as she turned the lock. It clicked open like a mining blast in the quiet night. The guards paid them no attention and Sheppard and Nareen exchanged glances before she slipped into the prisons, Sheppard on her heel.

"Take the stairs," she said, closing the door. "They should be in one of the first rooms at the top."

"Where are you going?" he asked, looking in the direction of her voice. There was no light to see by.

"Do not worry about me," she said, pressing something into his hand. The candle. "I will be fine."

She didn't let go of him as she searched her pocket, metal clinking together as she did. A moment later, she struck something against the stone wall and the small vestibule they had entered was suddenly illuminated. Lighting the candle and extinguishing the match before it could burn her fingers, she reached into her pocket once more and removed another key. "This will open the cell door. I trust that you will not try to escape, because I'll warn you now that it would be quite impossible without my help and all you would accomplish is getting yourself killed."

"Got it," Sheppard said, accepting the key. "No escaping with my life."

Nareen lifted her brow at him. "I will be there presently."

And before he could say anything, Nareen turned and disappeared into the dark, her footfall echoing away from him down a different flight of steps.

--

It took Sheppard little time to find the cells and even less to figure out which one held his friends. The presence of small, barred windows was of particular help in the matter. Inserting the key, Sheppard grimaced as the lock _click-click-clicked_ into place and echoed back off the stone walls. It also woke both Teyla and Ronon. Rodney remained asleep.

"John?" Teyla said a moment later. She stood and crossed the room to him. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask myself the same question." He closed the door behind him. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Considering we're in prison," Ronon finished for her. "How'd you get a key?"

"Nareen gave it to me," he said, putting it in his pocket. "She woke me up twenty minutes ago and told me that she was bringing me here."

"Where is she now?" Teyla asked.

"Not here," Sheppard said as he moistened his fingers and snuffed out the candle. Moonlight flooded in through a large barred window. "She took off at the bottom of the stairs."

"Where to?"

"I don't know." He furrowed his brow. "But I have a feeling she's giving us a chance to plan some kind of an escape."

Ronon joined Sheppard and Teyla by the door. "What makes you say that?"

"It's just something she said." He shrugged. "Besides, I don't know why else she would bring me here in the middle of the night some twelve hours before I'm supposed to marry her."

"It might be some sort of a trap," Ronon said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No." Sheppard shook his head. "But don't ask me to explain."

Rodney grunted from where he lay. "Will you guys keep it down?" The scientist began to roll over when he apparently caught a glimpse of Sheppard. Sitting up, he rubbed at an eye. "What are you doing here?"

"You missed that conversation, Rodney," Sheppard said. He turned back to the other two.

"What's wrong with getting out of here now?" Ronon asked. "You have a key, don't you?"

"I don't think it works for much more than your door."

Ronon and Teyla exchanged glances. Rodney stumbled towards them, his hair pushed up to one side, a line of dry drool down his chin. Scratching at his head, he yawned and gestured at Sheppard. "So, you agreed to come here alone in the middle of the night without a clue as to where this woman you're supposed to marry is now that you're in the prison, and you don't suspect anything is up? What'd she give you to trick you into coming here?"

"Don't be gross," Sheppard said. Ronon chuckled.

"I'm being reasonable."

Sheppard snorted at him. "No, you're being dumb."

"Please," Teyla said, putting a hand on Rodney's chest as he prepared to retort. "Unlike Rodney, I assume she will return shortly to retrieve you, so we might as well use our time wisely rather than waste it bickering over…" She paused. "Rather than waste it bickering."

Sheppard and Rodney regarded each other for a length before conceding.

Teyla nodded. "Good. Does anyone have a plan?"

"I've never had to get out of a wedding before," Sheppard said. "And nothing I've tried so far has worked. She's determined. So is her father. I think he's tired of planning weddings."

"You could always fake your own death," Rodney said. "Is there a friar anywhere?"

"That's very poetic, Rodney," Sheppard said. "But I don't think it'll work. Mostly because that kind of a thing doesn't happen in real life."

"It's not like you've come up with anything yet."

Sheppard pressed his lips together.

Ronon squinted. "Have you mentioned anything about your wife?"

"I somehow doubt she would care about a divorce that happened eight years ago." Sheppard put his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels, the reality of his upcoming wedding hitting him a little harder now. He had briefly toyed with the idea of getting married again some years ago if he could find the right kind of girl. Preferably, he thought, one who had the same level of clearance so he wouldn't have to spend another marriage lying. This, however, was definitely not what he had in mind.

"But she does not know you two are no longer together," Teyla said, picking up the point. "I am sure her people have laws against polygamy."

"Besides that," Rodney said, "she might not want to share you with some woman on another planet."

"In another galaxy," Sheppard continued. "I might be able to make it work. I got pretty good at lying to Nancy by the end." He frowned then and glanced away from his friends. The divorce was not something he liked talking about. "Okay, I'll give that angle a try."

"Good timing," Ronon said. "Someone's coming."

Sheppard looked around the room. "That could be a problem."

"Just find some corner to stand in," Ronon said, going to sit on one of the beds. "They usually don't hang around for long."

"Have they been bothering you?" Sheppard asked, retreating to the shadows.

"No," Teyla said. "But they do come to check on us during the night."

Sheppard nodded as a key slid into the lock. It _clicked_ just as loudly as it had for him; his heart beat hard for the adrenaline that poured through his veins.

But it was only Nareen. She looked around, obviously nervous, before spotting him as he came out of the corner. And when Ronon stood, her eyes immediately went to him, wide with fright.

"They won't hurt you, Nareen," Sheppard said, approaching her. "I take it you haven't met them."

"I have not," she said, stepping closer, her knuckles barely a hairsbreadth from his. She looked back at Ronon. "My father might try to recruit you for our army."

"I don't plan on being around much longer," he replied. Nareen just frowned and looked at Sheppard.

"Have you finished?" she asked. "If not, then I suggest you bid them good night as quickly as possible and allow me to return you to your quarters before your absence is noted."

"That doesn't sound like much of a suggestion."

"It's not," Nareen nodded to the other three. "I'll be outside. Be quick about it." She left the door open behind her.

"Wow," Rodney said under his breath. "She's really hot. You've got some kind of luck there, Casanova."

"Shut up."

A smile crossed Rodney's lips. "Hey, if she doesn't believe you, it can't be all that bad. Hot wife, endless amounts of money, rule over an entire planet."

"Exactly," Sheppard said. "I've got to get out of this."

Rodney just continued to grin stupidly and Sheppard shook his head as he said goodbye and joined Nareen on the landing, closing the door behind him.

"Your friends are well?" she asked as they took the stairs.

"As well as you can expect after being locked up for two days."

Nareen watched where she stepped, another candle in her hand. "I do apologize for that, but you understand the reasons behind it, yes?"

"We've done the same," Sheppard admitted. "I mean, no one was trying to marry anyone else, but we've locked people up to get someone else to do something."

"I don't believe that's why my father put them in prison."

"You don't have to explain yourself again," Sheppard said, his words more bitter than he had intended. He didn't apologize.

After that, the journey back was silent and by the time they reentered his room, dawn was just touching the horizon. Nareen walked to his window to throw back the curtains rather than leaving him for the remainder of the night and Sheppard followed, curious about what she was doing.

"I never actually believed this day would come," she said, not looking at him as he approached. "There have been queens in my family who never married because of our traditions. My grandmother was one of them." Nareen signed and leaned into the sill, her nose centimeters from the glass.

"But your father…?"

"Born out of wedlock. It's why he's so adamant that I marry and why our betrothal has been so short. With our marriage, his line will become legitimate."

Sheppard swallowed. It just kept getting worse.

Silence descended then and the two of them watched the sun rise. Before it was halfway above the horizon, however, Sheppard touched her shoulder as she sniffed and tried to hide her tears behind a hand. She turned to look at him, though, faint traces of makeup streaking her face.

"Please consider everyone," she said. "My people need someone like you to survive the Wraith."

"Unfortunately," he said, "so do mine."

She tried to smile and when it didn't come she cupped one of his cheeks and kissed the other. In the same motion, she pushed a long dagger into his hand and he took it as she stepped away again. Her side trip must have taken her to an armory.

"Sleep as well as you can, John," Nareen said as she backed towards the door, saying nothing of the weapon. "Today is your wedding day."

Sheppard just frowned as he watched her leave, his fingers gripping the scabbard in his hand, before he turned back to the dawn. It stained, now, the clouds in the distance and the land that stretched out before it; the kingdom that would be his to protect.

Would he really be able to leave them to their own devices against the Wraith? A broken engagement would ruin all hopes of gaining a new ally. Who was he to make a decision that could affect the lives of so many. Sheppard shook his head and wondered for the first time since arriving if it really would be best to just go through with it.

Taking in a breath, he tucked the scabbard into his belt and leaned against the window sill, contemplating the morning. There had to be something he could do.

--

_A/N – Hey, thanks for the reviews! I wasn't sure how this would be received considering the plot and the topic (you know, fear of those ever-dreaded cries of "Mary Sue!") and am happy that a few of you out there took the time to review. Those are always helpful. Thanks also to you who favorite'd this or put an alert on it. Always good for an ego boost ;) and considering the following days of work, those kinds of compliments were needed. I don't mean to sound haughty (if I do) but, man, bad, bad days during which just about everything I touched managed to go wrong (I kid you not). Thanks for helping me out of a funk. Hope you enjoyed it! One more chapter to go…_


	3. Part III

Sheppard regarded himself in the mirror. He had never been a fan of wearing white from head to toe. There was too high of a probability that he would spill something on himself and ruin the outfit. It was one of the reasons that made him glad he had chosen the Air Force over the Navy. That and the whole months on end at sea thing. He would have gone mad. Instead, he would wind up going mad here.

Running a hand through his hair, Sheppard frowned at the reflection of the servant who had insisted on helping him get ready for the wedding. He really had to get out of this. There was no way he would spend the rest of his life having someone else dress him or be there when he bathed. It had taken a threat of physical violence to get the man out of the bathroom, actually.

Besides, he thought, he had been doing well enough on his own since he was three.

With a slight smile, he recalled the Batman cape he had worn every day for three months when he was five; and where his memory failed, there was plenty of photo evidence documenting the period. Batman at the zoo, Batman at the park, Batman during ski school… The servant cleared his throat.

"I believe we are nearly finished here, sir," he said. Sheppard sneered at him in the mirror and tugged at the voluminous tie around his neck. Hopefully he wouldn't have to spend the rest of his life wearing clothing any Masterpiece Theatre character would have worn, either. If he couldn't manage to get out of this marriage in time, he would have to lay down some rules. And get his things from Atlantis.

"Would you mind killing me?" Sheppard asked. The manservant, Tiers, looked surprised.

"Sir?"

"I mean, not really, because I kind of like being alive, but if you wouldn't mind going and telling them that I was murdered in the middle of the night or something…" Sheppard didn't know where he was going. He scratched the back of his head. "Or maybe that I managed to high-tail it out the window…"

"It's rather a long fall to the ground, sir," Tiers said. "And that kind of a mess wouldn't go unnoticed."

"You're a real help. Thanks."

"I try, sir."

Sheppard rolled his eyes heavenward and muttered something about servants. He hadn't been terribly fond of the staff his father had kept while he was growing up and his opinion certainly hadn't changed over the years. It was strange having people do the things he was perfectly capable of doing; even as a child, he hadn't liked other people pouring cereal for him or setting out his school uniform.

"We probably shouldn't keep the family waiting much longer, sir." Tiers said, cutting into his thoughts. He was holding up the jacket Sheppard was supposed to wear in addition to the one he already had on and shaking it slightly in his impatience. That would make layer number five, not counting the tie, which must have been wrapped around his neck at least four times. Tonight certainly would be interesting.

Sheppard shook the thought from his mind.

It wouldn't be interesting because there would be no tonight. At least not a wedding night tonight. If things went his way he would do nothing more interesting than try to read another couple of pages of _War and Peace_.

Tiers cleared his throat again and gestured with the jacket. Begrudgingly, Sheppard held up his arms to accept the final item of clothing.

"Is this all really necessary?" he asked, straightening the lapel. He would go down fighting, even if it made him sound like a child in the process. He no longer cared and was happy to make everyone around him just as miserable as he felt. They had forced his hand.

The manservant tilted his brow. "This is the traditional wedding garb of your new people, sir. Of course it's necessary."

"Isn't it a little warm outside?"

"The garden hall has been properly cooled. Don't worry, sir, you won't suffer heat exhaustion. And if you do pass out—"

"I don't faint."

"Of course not, sir."

Sheppard narrowed his eyes at the man as Tiers ran a soft brush over the outer jacket to remove any lint or stray hair. Up until now, the wedding hadn't seemed completely real somehow. He had convinced himself that he would be able to get out of it and figured that he and his team would be long gone by now. But as the hours had ticked away after dawn, Sheppard pacing the floor of his room, nothing had come to him. The guards at his door wouldn't let him pass without Nareen and even if he did manage to get past them, the guards outside the prison and all along the walls would present a terrible problem, not to mention the locked doors. All in all, there was no way he was sneaking out of the palace in the middle of the night. Or any other time.

So, when breakfast had arrived that morning with Tiers and his wedding clothes, Sheppard started to grow worried. It hadn't been a part of his repertoire before then. The bath had made it even more real and now, as he stood in front of the mirror, fully dressed and clean-shaven, Sheppard knew it was happening. Unless Atlantis figured out where they had been taken or he was struck by a stroke of brilliance some time in the next hour before he and Nareen were pronounced legally wed, he would find himself next in line for the throne of Vrschere with a new wife at his side.

This situation, to say the least, was not a part of the Plan.

_Damn it all_.

Suddenly aware that Tiers was staring at him, Sheppard coughed and rubbed at his jaw with one gloved hand.

"There's no way you can stall for me, is there?"

"Not if I desire to keep my position, there isn't. Sorry, sir." The apology wasn't sincere. "Shall we go? The king would rather appreciate it if you weren't late for your own wedding."

"I'm sure," Sheppard replied. He frowned at his reflection for the last time before gesturing towards the door and brushing the concealed dagger with the palm of his hand. Hopefully he wouldn't find a need for it. "Lead the way."

"I'm not the executioner here, sir," Tiers said, holding the door for Sheppard. The colonel just snorted and told his manservant to take the lead.

The small group was silent as they walked through the halls and Tiers kept glancing backwards as if to ensure that Sheppard was still following him, never mind the two guards that took up the rear. Sheppard also suspected that the man wasn't used to being in front of his masters. In this case, however, it was necessary. Sheppard would have gotten very lost on the way to the chapel if he had been in the front. He might have even led them to the prisons and off the planet, though he doubted anyone would have allowed him to go so far.

He pressed his lips together in a frown as Tiers led him into the gardens, remembering what Nareen had said about never being alone. With a glance, he wondered how many were watching now. Probably more than usual, however many that was.

The morning was a pleasant enough temperature that threatened to give way to a rather hot afternoon and Sheppard wondered again how he was going to survive if he was expected to stay in the same outfit all day. Maybe they would let him remove the outer jackets once the ceremony was over. He wasn't very optimistic about it, though.

Still, he continued to contemplate ways to get out of the various layers—going so far as to consider setting the jacket on fire by reaching over a candle at some point during the banquet that would follow the ceremony. It was something to keep his mind off the wedding itself. And, for now, denial was his best friend.

But when his eyes fell on Nareen, who suddenly appeared out of the trees dressed in her wedding white, all thoughts about setting himself on fire vanished. He was surprised to see her, her outfit just one more reminder of how serious his situation was becoming. It always had been serious; Sheppard just didn't want to face it, sure he would find a way out.

"Good morning, John," Nareen said. She was standing alone under one of the fruit trees, a little pink flower held gently between her thumb and forefinger. With a smile, she held it to her nose and looked away, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Isn't it bad luck for me to see you all dressed up before the wedding?" He didn't notice as his guards and Tiers retreated into the orchard, disappearing behind the trees.

"What gives you that idea?"

Sheppard shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. "Nothing, really. Just some superstition from my planet. People seem to take it pretty seriously, though."

She narrowed her eyes slightly. "I suppose that makes sense. Not the part about the bad luck, though. These outfits are just clothing."

"Fancy clothing that we only wear once."

"But clothing nonetheless." She lifted her shoulders in a slight shrug and began plucking the petals from the stem. She pulled them off one at a time and watched as they floated to the ground, her head tilted to one side, her hair falling over the same shoulder.

"We used to play this game as girls, my sisters and I," she said as she slowly pulled another petal from the flower. Sheppard watched her fingers. "We would think of a boy we liked and pluck at the petals of a flower hoping to gain his favor. The last time I played was for Darrl."

She pulled the final petal from the stem with a sad smile. "He loved me."

Sheppard didn't know what to say so remained silent and watched her as she regarded the long pistil. He really did feel sorry for her for having experienced so many terrible things in her young life and though she had never told him her age, he couldn't imagine that she was much more than fifteen years his junior, if even that. She was young—practically a baby—and he suddenly felt guilty for causing her even more undue pain. Sheppard couldn't help it; it was the hero in him.

He opened and closed his fists a couple of times, looking for the right words, but Nareen beat him to it. "Today is a happy day, John. You're gaining a new family who will love you and protect you. You're gaining wealth and power and beautiful lands that stretch as far as the eye can see." She pointed out over the rolling landscape, dropping her other hand to her side, still holding the empty stem. "Everything will be yours. Ours."

"I can't deny that it all sounds nice, Nareen, but I've done the cushy life and it drives me insane. I'll be the first to admit it. I got out just as fast as I could the last time and managed to burn a hell of a lot of bridges on the way. I really…I can't." He sighed at his inability to express himself in situations like this. "Isn't there anything I can do to get out of this? There has to be something."

Nareen looked at him, tears still shimmering in her eyes. He didn't know if it was because of him or because of her memories of Darrl and though he found that he was beginning to care about her, he didn't want to comfort her, not until he got an answer.

She worked her jaw for a length and when she finally found the words to speak, her voice was quiet. "The main reason behind marriage is to ensure that the royal line continues beyond our death. If it is determined that children cannot be produced from the partnership, then it is entirely within my power to terminate a betrothal." A tear trickled down her cheek, bringing with it a line of mascara. "It has only ever happened once in the history of my family, but no one will tell me how such a thing was determined, so I can't help you there, but if you must end the betrothal, then you have a little less than an hour to figure something out."

Nareen wiped at the tear and only managed to smear mascara across her cheek. She stared at the stained lace of her glove before removing it in order to rub the rest off, only creating a larger mess of things. Sheppard chuckled and went to her. Removing the pocket square from his outer jacket, he tilted her chin and rubbed at the affected area until it was clean, his other hand holding her shoulder. Her skin was soft under his fingers.

"I don't understand why women insist on wearing make-up to weddings when they know it's only going to run. You're pretty enough without it."

She glanced away, then, relaxed in his grip, and it surprised him to see how at peace Nareen seemed with the whole ordeal of her marriage and its possible end, despite her tears, a slight smile on her face for the compliment. With her hand came the throne and she had seen five men die for the chance to rule over Vrschere. How incredible, then, that the man who would apparently end up with it was the only one who didn't want it.

He had to find a way out. And she had just given him one; now he just had to think of a way to use it to his advantage.

But as she turned to look at him once again, the sun shining in her eyes, he couldn't help but wonder if it would be so bad.

And before he could stop himself, Sheppard brushed her lips with a kiss. The sensible part of his brain was screaming for him to stop. This wasn't what he wanted. _Yes_, it said, _yes it would be so bad._ But his body wouldn't listen and he only deepened the kiss, Nareen responding to his touch. Her hair was wonderfully heavy in his grip, her lips soft. How long had it been?

Nareen made a small sound in the back of her throat and touched his arm, her fingers hesitating before tightening around his bicep. He didn't blame her considering the mixed signals he was sending. Hopefully, this wouldn't come off as consent. It was just a way to tell her that she wasn't the reason behind his refusal. That she was beautiful and intelligent and that he was lousy with words. He had always been lousy with words.

It wasn't a very convincing argument, though, even in his head.

He didn't know how long he stood there kissing her. The sun seemed to rise higher in the sky, the air growing thick with humidity, and he only stopped when an errant giggle escaped her lips. Clapping a hand over her mouth, she turned away, blushing.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't be laughing considering we were talking about how to end things."

Sheppard regarded the back of her head and almost said something about what else they shouldn't have been doing, all things considered. Instead, he went on to say, "But if you really think about it, there wasn't much to begin with."

She lifted her shoulders in a shrug, turning back to him. "I was getting used to the idea of having a life with you, but I suppose you're right. I'll be fine, just as I said I would be. My inheritance of the throne has nothing to do with my marital status. I am the eldest and it is my right to take my father's place. You would have been good for us, I won't deny it, but I'm not one to force people into situations they so obviously don't want to be in, even if it means giving up my family's legitimacy to help you."

"Thank you." He smiled. "I don't know what else to say."

"You needn't say anything, John. Now we should go before anyone suspects foul play. And if you do choose to interrupt things, please make sure my name isn't a part of it. I don't know what my punishment might be."

"I wouldn't dream of getting you in trouble." He followed her as she started to walk towards the garden hall, mostly because he had no idea where he was going. After a moment, he said, "Are my friends going to be there?"

"Yes," Nareen said, "I requested that they attend."

"Good," he said with a nod. "Good."

They went in silence for several more minutes until a group of girls suddenly appeared from behind the trees, as did Tiers and the two guards from Sheppard's door. Nareen touched his hand.

"It's time for us to part until the ceremony, John. I'll see you in the hall."

"Bye, highness."

--

The men walked in silence after the women left, birdsong filling the morning air. Every so often, a flash of color would dart through the air above them.

"Lovebirds," Tiers explained as one pair flittered around Sheppard's head for a brief moment.

"Appropriate," Sheppard muttered, watching the spot where they had disappeared before continuing on with their trek through the trees.

Before long, a wall of a white-pink stone replaced the pink petals of the fruit trees. Long dead vines grew up from a short outcropping of stone that served as the hall's foundation, great buttresses peaking out from behind the rows of trees that grew right up to its walls. Sheppard craned his neck and held up his hand against the sun as they walked along its edge but couldn't see where it ended for the foliage above him and the curve of the wall.

And though he tried to study the architecture, Sheppard didn't actually get a chance to see much before being swept into its depths, the antechamber a shock of darkness after the bright morning they had come from. Squinting, his eyes slowly growing used to the lack of light, Sheppard was led deeper into the building, the din of voices growing louder the further they went. Light washed a far wall.

"The ceremony is about to start, sir," Tiers said. "Quickly now. The priest will be informed of your presence just as soon as the princess joins you."

But Sheppard wasn't hearing him as Tiers led him to the end of the antechamber, putting his hand out to stop the colonel just as they approached what turned out to the entrance to the main part of the hall. Sheppard paused, looking at the man, before turning to take in the interior of the hall.

The structure turned out to be gothic in nature and the great pointed arches rose high above his head, light filtering in through the delicate rosette stone work that seemed too light to be real. The entire space glowed as if the white-pink stone was emitting the light rather than softly reflecting it back on the people and flowers below.

Sheppard swallowed at a lump in his throat as he turned his attention to the guests who had gathered to witness the wedding of their crown princess. None except his friends seemed to notice him, though, and how they had seen him from the very front of the hall was beyond him. Ignoring them, he once more turned his mind back to getting out of here; his brain switching to full panic mode as a soft music filled the air and someone took his arm.

Nareen.

"I…uh…" he said.

Nareen just smiled. She was wearing a voluminous veil of white and smiling lightly beneath it.

"I was told you work best under pressure," she said softly as the priest who would marry them followed a boy carrying incense down the central aisle. Sheppard watched the faint line of smoke rather than Nareen, his brow lifted. Tiers hadn't been lying.

"Whoever told you that must have been thinking of Rodney," he whispered, the king making his appearance. He was a tall man with graying hair and eyes that shone just as brightly as Nareen's. He was enthusiastic and kind and had shown real interest when speaking with Sheppard of flight and the people he ruled over. It was nice, Sheppard had thought, to meet a regent who truly cared for those he protected rather than taking his wealth for granted. And despite the trouble Sheppard and his friends had caused, King Trius was apparently ready to accept Sheppard as the next ruler of Vrschere. He wouldn't have allowed Nareen to marry him if he wasn't.

Sheppard leaned forward on his toes, then, thinking that there must be a chamber next to the one he and Nareen were occupying considering they were alone here in the darkness; Tiers and his guards had disappeared some time before.

"I tend to get snappy," Sheppard replied at length. "And make dumb mistakes that in all cases should have led to my death. I'm seriously surprised that I'm still alive."

He could feel Nareen's eyes on the side of his face. Her ladies were now walking down the aisle and Sheppard figured their turn would be coming up real soon.

Her response was quiet. "I'm…happy today, John. I didn't think I would be."

"Because of who you're not marrying?"

"Yes," she said. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me," he replied, looking at her. "I don't deserve your gratitude. I'm a bastard."

"But you're not," Nareen said. "You're really not. You not only saved your friend, but you saved me. Imagine what Terren might have done to the woman who was legally bound to him if he could do that to a perfect stranger. You have to believe that you did the right thing." She put her other hand on his arm and stroked her lace-gloved thumb over the fabric of his sleeve. "I like to believe that I've come to know you over the days, John. I like to believe that I've had the chance to see what kind of man you really are even though I haven't seen much of you. I've seen how you care and I've seen how you're willing to sacrifice yourself for the sake of your friends and your people. I've even seen how much you're willing to sacrifice for people you don't know but who need your help against the Wraith. Anyone else would have risked their fate against the guards by now, but you remained behind. You didn't use the dagger I gave you to escape or the keys I left in the scabbard to free your friends—"

"Keys?" Sheppard whispered as the music changed.

Nareen laughed lightly as she took the first step out of the antechamber.

"Yes, keys." She glanced away from him, suddenly shy under the eyes of so many. "You could have gone all the way to the Gate with the things I gave you, yet you're here, marrying me. Perhaps it's only because you didn't notice the things I gave you, but thank you for saving me from a cruel man, even if you plan on making a scene in front of all these people. I am strong enough to protect them on my own. I didn't know that last week."

Sheppard ground his teeth together, unable to answer. He simply led Nareen down the aisle, ignoring the brightly clothed men and women on either side of him, flitting in and out of his view like the lovebirds outside, his mind turning somersaults.

He could have been gone, he kept thinking; he could have been back home and away from all this. He could have been back on Atlantis.

His eyes closed for only a moment—the length of two steps—but in that time he saw the life he could lead here. He saw the children he might have and the sense of stability that would come from having earth—real dirt—beneath his feet rather than thin layers of metal and an endless ocean. He heard the cries of a newborn child and the sounds of lovemaking; he experienced the life he had given up by signing one too many times on a dotted line.

The smell of incense reached his nose and he opened his eyes just in time to take the steps up the lower of two daises. He glanced at Nareen who pulled him with her to his knees and bowed his head mimicking her, suddenly forgetting everything he had been told concerning the ceremony.

The priest started to speak, though Sheppard didn't recognize the words. Maybe something like Latin, but his lessons from childhood were so far out of his mind right now that he wouldn't have been able to distinguish Latin from French from Japanese. He was thinking, still, of the life he was about to enter and the one he was about to leave behind. Could he do it? Could he sacrifice his duty to Atlantis and Earth to protect Nareen and her people?

Sheppard squeezed his eyes closed once more, the priest's words droning through the back of his mind. Could he truly allow himself the chance at a happiness he never thought he would have again? Though Atlantis continued to help heal the self-inflicted wound he had opened up some years ago, there was a chance that staying here with Nareen could fill the void left beneath the mending skin. It wasn't a sure thing, but it was the only real opportunity he had been given in the empty years that had followed Afghanistan and the divorce.

_No_, he thought.

"No," he said out loud, looking up, interrupting the priest. "I can't do this."

There was a murmur from the gathered guests. The king frowned and glanced between his daughter and Sheppard before saying. "I don't believe you have much of a choice, Colonel. My daughter has already told you what your fate would have been had the marriage not been arranged."

The smile in the king's eye was gone, now.

"I know, but…" Sheppard still didn't know what he was going to say and was willing his brain to work fast. He could escape the Wraith easily enough, so why was this presenting such a predicament? But he had to get out. His love affair with Atlantis hadn't yet come to an end. "There might be a problem."

"What kind of a problem?" the king sat forward and lifted his brow. "Certainly nothing that can't be resolved after the ceremony. I don't want to put you in my prisons and deprive the people of this galaxy of you. From what I have gathered in the last couple of days, you're quite an asset to the war against the Wraith. You're marriage to my daughter is not only for my people but for all who are oppressed by them."

Sheppard swallowed and just hoped he knew what he was doing. Getting himself killed wasn't a part of the Plan either.

But before he could go much further, Rodney decided to take things into his own hands.

"He has a wife!" the other man yelled from where he stood. Sheppard turned a look on him just as Nareen narrowed her eyes. Both were still kneeling in front of the priest; Sheppard didn't notice the ache in his joints.

"You're married?" Nareen looked at him. "Why haven't you mentioned her?"

"Because we're not exactly together anymore," he said slowly, glaring at Rodney. The scientist sat down and looked away.

"But you've been married before." It wasn't a question.

"Will saying yes get me out of this marriage?"

"No." She shook her head once, standing and throwing back the folds of her veil. Sheppard got to his feet, too.

"Will it get me killed?"

She looked at her father. "I don't see why it would."

Sheppard scratched the back of his head. "Then I guess I have nothing to hide. She'd pity you, really. It didn't end on good terms."

That didn't seem to matter to either Nareen or her father. They just exchanged glances before the king said, "Did you produce any children in your previous marriage, Colonel?"

"No."

A slight frown crossed Nareen's face as if she hadn't believed he would be able to come up with a good enough excuse in time. And, in all honestly, he hadn't. Sheppard was still shooting the dark and hoping to hit something. He had warned her that he'd go down fighting.

"Good," her father said. "That makes things simpler."

"Damn it," Sheppard muttered.

Everyone was silent for a moment after that and as he turned to look at his team, Sheppard finally figured out how he was going to get out of this. After all, he thought as he turned back to the king and Nareen, he and Rodney had already laid out the ground work even if neither had known it.

"The thing is, Nareen, your majesty, is that I am actually in love with someone else. Not my wife." He glanced briefly at his team.

Nareen's eyes narrowed again in confusion and before her father could answer, she did, "Love has nothing to do with this, John."

"Sure it does," he said with a gesture. "Marriage can't only be about procreation." The look on the king's face, however, told otherwise. Sheppard went on. "I mean, there are all sorts of marriages that have nothing to do with making babies."

Father and daughter lifted their brows and exchanged another set of glances. Sheppard felt like a fool.

"Do you love her more than you could me?" She asked at length, pointing at Teyla. "Is that why you killed Lord Terren? It's all starting to make sense, now."

Sheppard bit the inside of his lip. "No."

"Then why say that you do? I do not appreciate it when people lie to me."

"No, I mean, it's not her."

"Then who?" Her voice was cold. Sheppard couldn't tell if she was playing along or was seriously upset.

"Does it really matter? I mean, are you actually going to let me leave even if I tell you? I somehow doubt it."

"Colonel Sheppard," the king said. "Please indulge us."

Sheppard just pointed at Rodney. The scientist's eyes widened impossibly and he shot to his feet. Ronon's hand stopped him from going anywhere.

"_What?_" Rodney looked ready to kill something, preferably the colonel.

Sheppard ignored him.

"I didn't know it at first, but, well, we've spent a lot of time together over the last five years…" Sheppard went on, hardly able to believe his eloquence. "I've never felt about anyone the way I do about Rodney. I never thought I could love another man."

Nareen did a good job at looking absolutely disgusted—though he wouldn't have blamed her if the expression was indeed real—and Sheppard suppressed the smile that threatened to split his face. Maybe he would get out of this after all.

"Doctor McKay?" she asked. "I can maybe understand being attracted to Ronon, but him? He's so… I don't even have words for it."

"Hey!" Rodney said.

"Yeah, hey!" Sheppard said as he closed the distance between himself and Rodney. "Don't say that about the…man I love!"

He could feel every single eye on him. Nareen smirked.

"I don't believe you."

Sheppard matched her expression. "Believe this."

Looking at his friend, he grimaced, grabbed the scientist by the back of his head and pressed his lips to Rodney's.

Silence.

And when he stepped back, Rodney looked ready to murder him.

"Okay," Nareen said after several more seconds of stunned silence. "I…believe you." She didn't actually sound convinced. "If you want him to remain here after we send the others away then I won't argue with you; there is nothing wrong with loving another man. You won't even have to share my bed if you don't wish it once I have birthed an heir."

Sheppard could barely speak. He was sure the kiss would have sealed the deal. Now he just felt dirty. "I'm not sure how well that will work, highness."

The king cut in. "Do you find daughter attractive?"

"I mean, she's pretty…" he shrugged.

"But you aren't attracted to women."

"No," he said instinctively. "I mean, yes. Just men for me."

He didn't see how anyone could believe him, especially with Rodney struggling against Ronon and Teyla in order to strangle him.

The king contemplated him for a long moment. "Would you care to explain, then, why you were seen kissing my daughter?"

"Ah…" Sheppard said. He gestured with a hand and worked his jaw, trying to think of something to say. It wasn't coming. "Well… It's a way we have on my planet of showing…appreciation…?" He tried to sound as confident as possible. "Your daughter saved my life and I wanted her to know how grateful I am about it, I just can't marry her. Uh… Sorry."

Nobody spoke for several very long minutes and Sheppard was sure they had seen through his rather weak ruse. When Nareen spoke next, however, having consulted her father with several significant looks, her voice was quiet, resigned, "You may go, John. I have no use for you if you can't perform your function as a man."

"Thank God," Sheppard muttered.

"Pardon?"

"Uh… Thank _you._" He grabbed Rodney's hand. "We'll never forget this."

"Yes, we will," Rodney said under his breath. Sheppard just grinned wider.

--

It took about an hour for them to reach the Gate, having left immediately after being dismissed from the garden hall. The two guards that had spent the last several days outside of Sheppard's door had been charged with leading them to it, another two to meet them there with their confiscated equipment. Neither Sheppard nor Rodney spoke as they waited.

It was the white of Nareen's dress that indicated the arrival of the other party and Sheppard left his friends to meet her halfway across the flowering field. She was smiling, though obviously sad.

"I must admit," she said, "that I never would have guessed that you would take that path out. I hadn't even considered it a possibility."

"Honestly, neither had I." He shook his head. "The only reason I thought of it was because of something that happened a couple of years back on Atlantis."

"Which," came Rodney's voice from across the short distance, "is something we agreed to never speak of again."

Sheppard shrugged. "I don't know what he's talking about."

Nareen laughed lightly and took his hands in hers. "My father plans on descending from his position in the next year and when he does, I will contact your people about a trade agreement. I'm not sure I can persuade him to open anything before then, all things considered."

He smiled. "Good luck with that."

"Thank you."

They stood there for a moment, the world silent except for the sound of birdsong. Before long, however, his friends began making noise, Rodney dialing Atlantis and speaking with the technician on the other end. Nareen glanced that way before lifting herself on to her toes and pressing a gentle kiss to Sheppard's cheek. "Be well, John," she muttered against his skin. "Don't forget us."

"Honestly," he said without breaking the proximity, "I have a feeling I won't be forgetting this for a long time." He took her by the shoulders and pushed her back away from him before kissing the line of her hair in farewell and taking a step back. "Goodbye, Nareen."

She smiled and folded her hands in front of her, remaining where she stood as he retreated towards the open Gate. Taking up his gear from one of the guards and slinging a small satchel of clothing over one shoulder, he waited for the rest of his team to step into the event horizon before turning a glance over his shoulder to look at her, squinting against the sun.

Nareen lifted her arm, a smile of her face, a handful of petals falling from her open palm and floating away on the slight breeze that blew around her. Sheppard smiled and received a slight wave in farewell.

It was the last thing he saw before returning home.

_Fin_

--

_A/N – Thanks everyone who read and reviewed this! Especially thanks to those of you who enjoyed this enough to favorite it. I honestly couldn't ask for more, especially since posting this surrounded a pretty tough couple of weeks (I don't think you can truly appreciate how much getting laid off because of the economy sucks until it happens to you, even with the kindest of regards from your manager…). So thank you, thank you, thank you. I had a lot of fun writing this little story and it really made me remember how much I enjoy constructing short stories, which are a lot harder to write than people think they are._

_I have to admit, though, that the entire story basically grew out of the scene during which Sheppard kisses Rodney. I'm not a fan of slash but I got this crazy notion in my head about Shep having to kiss our favorite egomaniac in order to get himself out of some kind of trouble and, bam, _The Betrothal of John Sheppard_ was born. Thanks again to everyone. Now back to the SW trilogy hole I've written myself into… Perhaps I'll emerge back into the SG:A universe once more some day soon. I quite like it on this side of the fence…_


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